Language board calls Theron comments ‘disturbing’

A South African languages body says Charlize Theron’s description of Afrikaans as a dying language is “disturbing” and “inaccurate”, adding to the backlash she has received in recent days.

It’s the Hollywood actress’ mother tongue and she received all her schooling in it “which built the foundation of her rather illustrious career”, says the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB).

PanSALB is a government initiative to promote multilingualism and all 11 of South Africa’s official languages, including Afrikaans.

The group called her recent comments “not only disheartening but disturbing, as they are inaccurate and misleading” because “Afrikaans is the third-most spoken language” and continues to be used in “several cross-governmental communications” plus “as a medium of instruction in South African schools”.

It added that “Theron is held in such high regard by the country of her birth” and commended her track record for using her platform to talk about socio-economic issues. But also asked her to “pay due regard to the constitutional imperatives that promote social cohesion” and help to highlight the “importance of participating in public life using one’s mother tongue”.

Theron has not responded to the backlash from some South Africans following her comments.